Hello from Co. Wicklow

Hi Folks,

Registered last month after picking up a small setup as a family present for Christmas.

All very simple but stuck on a few bits of contradicting advice I've got from a couple of different shops if anyone can help?

I picked up a 54litre tank and setup is tropical. Did all as instructed with the 14day prep and so far so good aside from a couple of minor setbacks.
10Xneon tetra
5Xredeye tetra
5Xtiger barbs
5Xalbino tiger barbs

So far we've lost 2 neon tetras and just noticed and having just cleaned the tank noticed a tiger barb carcass being nibbled : (

Every 10 days or so I've been cleaning the tank with a filter. Here's where I'm primarily stuck, I get about half way through the tank before the 1/5th of water is out, so not sure if I'm properly cleaning it. Also another shop has told me not to take out anywhere near a fifth?

Can anyone help?

Hi and welcome.
It could be a couple of reasons. I would rather cycle a tank for 4 - 6 weeks before putting fish in. Also, that's a lot of fish at one go, especially if your tank hasn't been cycled properly. I would have added the fish one batch at a time on one or two week intervals and kept a check on the water parameters regularly and only added fish if your tests were reading OK. That may be all the die-off you'll get, but invest in a water test kit asap and do regular tests. There should be a few threads about testing on the forum.
Bill

Hi and welcome to the forum . I totally agree with Bill i takes longer than 2 weeks to cycle a tank , more like 6 weeks and in this i wouldnt go mad cleaning , just let the tank settle gentle , maybe a 10% water change each week, you dont say what filter you are using , but what ever it is ifit does need cleaning make sure you just give it a lite rinse it tank water , mske sure yyou use a quality water declorinator for any new water added to the tank . Dont add any more fish till everything has settled . Finally as Bill said get a test kit . Any questions just ask the people on this forum are only too willing to help

That tank is well over stocked for the time you have had it. Sorry.
Can you take some fish back to the shop you got them from, or give some of them to a friend?
What you need to do is get your good bacteria growing, fast.
Seahorse aquariums sell many different sorts of bacteria in a bottle, and you add so much per day. This will help kick start your filter, and eat the fish poo that in there.
If you don't your fish will continue to die.
Do you have a test kit yet? Get one and test your water parameters, this will tell us if the tank has even started it cycle.
But please reduce the fish number, before they all die.

+1 with what as been said.
Rushing things and overstocking a tank always end up in disaster for the fishes and stress for the fishkeeper, we all have learned it the hard way
Welcome to the forum

You need to do three things if you havent already...

(1) Learn everything you can about the "Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle"

(2) Buy yourself an API Freshwater Master Test Kit

(3) Every single fish you purchase or have purchased needs to have its eventual size, compatability with other fish and living environment requirements thoroughly researched before they are added to ANY size fish tank...

Unfortunately your tank is totally overstocked, probably hasnt gone through the initial Nitrogen "CYCLE" and the fish are probably being slowly poisoned by their own waste in the form of Ammonia and NitrIte....You need to test the tank water for Ammonia and NitrIte levels ASAP...Otherwise you risk loosing all your fish...If these levels are in any way readable on the test kit results you need to change a large amount of water immediately to reduce them...

These links should help...

www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=580#.WIx9uYiLS00

www.seriouslyfish.com/

Now if you are really serious about keeping tropical fish as a hobby and as pets you need to realise that regular LARGE weekly water changes are a MUST for fish health...I swear by 50% weekly myself (others may disagree)...It actually depends on your NitrAte readings at the end of each week...But thats whole other story...

Anyway!!!

Put it this way! Would you like to swim around in a closed pool constantly being filled by pee and crap without the water or the pool ever being cleaned or changed...Not a nice thought...Freshwater fish need their water freshened constantly...We do this with weekly water changes...There is NO excuse for not changing your water weekly except LAZINESS...

Im sorry for ranting but the above info is all fact....You wont keep fish healthy without proper knowledge and practice of it all...

You will just end up with floating fish and an ugly nasty green aquarium othewise...

Thanks for all that info guys, that's all great. I should've given a bit of a timeline on things, I had previously read this forum for a bit so...

9th December, filled tank to start the cycle
(Tested it on the 23rd and all readings were within the tolerances on the strips)
24th December added 5neon tetra and 5tiger barbs
Jan7th added 5redeye tetra
Last week added the albino barbs and 5 more tetra

I have a test kit (strips) and have tested about 4 times, did it twice yesterday though before I'd posted, all good before the water change but the ph was a little low after the water change. I'll test again this afternoon and post a pic of the results.

I will say I've been to 3 separate shops for some of this stuff and all have told me different things.

cmyk I hope I didnt upset you with my lecture...That was not my intention at all...I apologise if I sounded like what we call in the hobby "A FISH SNOB"

You are very welcome to the forum and i wish you the best of luck in the hobby...When you start getting it right this hobby will overtake your life...

Be also careful of any advice on Fish Facebook groups as well...90% of it is hear say and garbage...Stick with knowledgeable guys like the ones on the proper fish forums...The guys on the proper fish forums know what they are talking about...Facebook is full of "Joe Soaps" who want to sound like Marine Biologists but dont know the difference between a Goldfish and a Pirahna

Something to remember about ALL fish stores........

At the end of the day they are a business and the whole idea is to make money...

It can be beneficial for them to constantly deal with people encountering fish health problems and water quality issues.....They get to sell more treatments and meds...This is not to say that these meds and treatments dont work but its something to be aware of...

What most people dont seem to realise is that alot of issues can be fixed with water changes...Even sick fish can be saved through water changes (depending on the illness and cause)

The best thing i ever heard from a vastly experienced fish keeper when i started keeping fish about 10 years ago was this "WE ARE KEEPERS OF WATER NOT FISH"

If you keep your water quality in check you will have alot less problems...

Fresh water fish LOVE fresh water!!!!! Thats my personal motto...

Dont get me wrong there are lots of good people working in fish stores who give excellent advice...You just got to get to know them over time...

If its a part time youngfella in a big petstore you are dealing with take what they say with a pinch of salt...

Also on a side note regarding test strips...They are a poor indicator of water parameters...

Liquid reagent kits (API Master test kit) are far more accurate...

gunnered72 wrote:

cmyk I hope I didnt upset you with my lecture...That was not my intention at all...I apologise if I sounded like what we call in the hobby "A FISH SNOB"

You are very welcome to the forum and i wish you the best of luck in the hobby...When you start getting it right this hobby will overtake your life...

Be also careful of any advice on Fish Facebook groups as well...90% of it is hear say and garbage...Stick with knowledgeable guys like the ones on the proper fish forums...The guys on the proper fish forums know what they are talking about...Facebook is full of "Joe Soaps" who want to sound like Marine Biologists but dont know the difference between a Goldfish and a Pirahna

Not at all gunnered, I posted here for some solid advice in the face of the conflicting advice I've had in shops that left me confused.

I'll pick up an API test kit tomorrow when I get to Dublin and see what the readings tell me. Thanks all for the advice.

Anything else that's handy to have while I'm up there to pick up? I've got the usual things like siphon filter, stress zyme and stress coat.

Hi cymc , just to make you feel a bit better, i went back into tanks 2 years ago after being away and big into my koi pond for 20 years , well it was a real learning story and i wouldnt be were i am with 4 tanks all running well if it wasnt for the people here on the forum . I now know a lot more than i did , but you never stop learning in this hobby . Post your experiences as we learn from other people